#11 most-searched carol in the US · 1851
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: the story behind the carol
Also known as Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
⛪ Church & choir
- Words
- Latin (medieval O Antiphons); English by John Mason Neale (1851)
- Music
- "Veni Emmanuel", from a 15th-century French processional
- From
- Latin church tradition
- Type
- Sacred carol
The story behind “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
It's an Advent hymn rather than a Christmas one: its verses come from the "O Antiphons", short Latin chants sung in the last seven days before Christmas since at least the 8th century.
John Mason Neale translated it into English in 1851. The haunting tune was long thought to be his invention, until a 15th-century French manuscript with the melody turned up in 1966.
More carols like this
- Silent Night1818 · Oberndorf, Austria
- Joy to the World1719 · England; tune from Boston
- O Holy Night1847 · Roquemaure, France
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing1739 · England
- O Come, All Ye Faithful1743 · England / France (Latin hymn)
- Away in a Manger1885 · Pennsylvania, USA
History retold from the carol's Wikipedia article and its sources; checked 2026-09-30.